This photo shows a deceptively complex site from a safety perspective, according to Owen Langton of Henry Foundation
Drilling Inc. The drill needed to be safely offloaded from the lowbed and needed to be loaded after it was complete so
that it could be moved. The work site was on an active road on a curve, which required traffic control. High-tension
power lines in the immediate work area were dealt with by BC Hydro. A casing was being installed that required a
lift. In addition, there are dump trucks taking out the spoils and concrete trucks bringing in materials.
a very high potential for things to break off and fall,” said Bell.
Less obvious is the noise factor, and not just from sheer decibel
levels, he says. “In the pile driving industry, the hazard is
impulse noise or impact noise.”
Site conditions
“We’re always the first contractor there and the last to leave,
so the sites are never in the best condition,” said Willis La
Rose, HSE director for Doublestar Drilling (1998) Ltd. To
avoid the incidents caused by slips, trips, falls, open holes,
pinch points and related hazards, “we have what we call
LMRA: last minute risk assessment, a quick 10- to 15-second
visual assessment of the work zone.”
“Working conditions always play a key factor,” said
Ben Brockmann, CHSO, safety manager for Bermingham
Foundation Solutions Limited. “When you’re using large
cranes, you have to have a proper pad for your crane. It’s also
critical to ensure all your equipment – rigging, cranes, slings
– is in good condition and that it has sufficient capacity to
do the job.”
Learning from mistakes
Despite these everyday dangers, the most serious types of
accidents in the piling industry are rare enough that everyone
remembers them for years. Such a case was the 2011 rig
collapse on a TTC extension project on the York University
campus in Toronto that killed a 24-year-old worker and
injured others. The Ministry of Labour determined that inadequate
site preparation and operation of equipment on too
steep a slope were among the causes. No matter the severity
of the outcome, every incident offers an opportunity to learn
how to prevent a reoccurrence.
“Best practices after accidents are based around lessons
learned,” said Belair. “After an event, the circumstances of the
event are investigated. Root-cause models are then used to
investigate the failure or multiple failures that led up to the
accident. Once these are identified, the investigation team will
review the findings with subject matter experts to find appropriate
controls and best practices to prevent a reoccurrence.
Keller actively participates with industry associations where
COVER FEATURE
PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRY FOUNDATION DRILLING INC.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
14 Q2 2016 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
